I'm on Twitter

I never thought I'd do it...I don't have a Facebook, and it took me quite awhile to start blogging, but here I am announcing I'm on Twitter! So far, so good. I'm getting the hang of it! (Or so I think). Let's have a follow and talk makeup!



By TwitterButtons.com

Shopping the friends stash

The best thing about visiting friends that love makeup as much as I do Is having a peek and getting to swatch and try on colors and products I don't have (but now want!). Although I had already done up my face with foundation, powder, mascara and a bit of blush, I still wanted to play makeup! So off I went- searching and dipping (clean fingers of course!) here and there. I now have a longer wish list! My friend has a beautiful collection of benefit products I'd never tried before such as Lemonaid (which is a color correcting eyelid primer), cha cha tint (gorgeous color- much too light for me) she also had two MAC shades I'd not ever owned or seen much, but now am in love and Want them both ASAP! Since I already had a full face of makeup undecided to add a bit of Dollymix to my cheeks (pigmentation is amazing!) One swipe showed up nicely- I did use a couple extra swipes as I wanted it to show in pictures. After that it was onto MAC Speed Dial which is a beautiful blue based bubblegum pink ( at least on my NC42 skin). How I've not own either of these gorgeous gems is beyond me! I will be getting Speed dial as my next B2M:) Oh and Dollymix- it will be mine!!
Has anyone tried these two beauties out? Do you ever go to a friends and play makeup?

L to R: Dollymix blush, Speed Dial Lip stick

above products in action (taken with instagram filter-love those filters. makes me look airbrushed;)

Ten under $10

In case I haven't said it enough, I'm a bargainista! Which is not a bad thing! I find that there are lots of beauty and skin care products to be found that won't break the bank. That's not to say I never splurge but lately that hasn't been happening. (I'm also in the midst of a super swap with a fellow blogger from Ireland!)

Here are a few of my favorites that are all under ten dollars-although I love them and use them often, I wouldn't necessarily say they are my top ten, just ten I'd like to share:

1. elf Golden Bronzer $3- This is a bargain at just $3! It's quite light but that's a good thing, the idea is to look dewy and have a light sheen to my cheekbones, not doused in glitter. I've seen this mentioned a dupe for Dior Amber Diamond. I don't own Dior Amber Diamond, so I cannot agree nor disagree, but for me it applies beautifully for a nice golden sheen. Would definitely recommend this lovely product.
2. elf Eyebrow Kit in Medium $3- Another elf gem! I've used Benefit's eyebrow zing in the past and this is a great (and cheaper) alternative. It has the two pans-one a dark brown wax and a warmer brown powder. It comes with a mini brush that can be used in a pinch. But i prefer to use my MAC angled brush. 
3. Ruby Kisses 3D Face Creator in Level 9  $4.99- I use this as a concealer and love that this company caters to women of color (WOC). I have a hard time finding drugstore concealers that are my shade. I don't always like the one shade lighter under eye type of coverage-look, sometimes I prefer to have a similar color to my skin tone. This can be mixed and it applies smoothly and does not crease! It feels like silk. A brush would probably make it more neat, but if I'm in a rush a simple swipe with my ring finger is all I need. 
4. Jane Cosmetics Oil Free Finishing Powder in Translucent- This has been with me for quite a while (as one can probably tell by the very visible pan!), I'm guessing I paid under $5 for this. The Jane cosmetics website is under construction (maybe revamping the line?). I've tried several translucent finishing/blot powders but always end up with a white cast, even with a light hand. I can apply a few swipes of this midday or whenever I need a touch up and won't even have to look in a mirror to make sure I don't have a white ashy face! This stuff is great! I really do hope it hasn't been discontinued, it's a great product for a fantastic price. 
5. Eco Tools Bronzer Brush $4.99 ($4.99 was Clearance price, regular price is about $9.99, I believe)I found this while browsing Target one day for the awesome price of $4.99!! I love this brush. I use it quite a bit-everything from applying my MSFN powder to applying bronzer/blush. I'm definitely going to be adding more of the Eco tools to my collection. 
6. elf Studio powder brush $3-This is an amazing brush that gets lots of love on the blogosphere, and with good reason! It has a flat top which works perfectly for applying  mineral powder, cream blushes or buffing in your foundation, which is what I use it for. If you don't have this brush-get it!!
7. Purple Eyelash curler $2.80- I purchased this random, no brand name eyelash curler at Forever 21! I usually use the elf brand but it recently broke, picked this up as I liked the lovely purple color, and it works quite nice! 
8. Revlon Deluxe Slant Tip Tweezers- I've tried several brands of tweezers-from Tweezerman, elf to Sally Hansen- these are the ones I always go back to. In fact I have two of the same to keep with me and keep one at home. 
9. Nabi (L38) Hot Pink Lipliner Pencil $1- I'd never heard of this brand but for the price figured I'd take the chance! This is a great lip pencil-not just because the color is beautiful but because it's soft but not to soft and doesn't tug on my lips! I found this in LA's Fashion District (I could browse all day in Santee Alley). It reminds me of NYX-everything from the packaging to the quality-a very good product for the price.
10. NYX  Eyeshadow base Skin Tone- I'm not a huge primer kinda gal, I've only owned a few drugstore brands-elf, wet'n'wild, NYC. But this NYX is pretty good! It goes on smoothly and actually works well. I've not tested it out more than 6 hours but it holds quite well on the nights I've worn it out. The pot has a pretty good amount, so I think this will last me thru the summer!

L to R, Counter clockwise: Elf golden bronzer, elf eyebrow kit, eco tools bronzer brush, elf studio powder brush, jane oil free finishing powder

Top to bottom: Ruby Kisses 3D, Nabi, NYX, Revlon, F21 eyelash curler

Nabi Hot Pink, NYX Base, elf golden bronzer, Ruby Kisses 3D

Summer Lust List

If Money grew on trees....these are a few items I'd be out shopping for! Seeing this also makes me think it would be a great mix for a weekend getaway!

Summer Lust List 

Marc by Marc Jacobs summer dress
mytheresa.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs aviator sunglasses
saksfifthavenue.com

Yves Saint Laurent foundation
barneys.com

Nars cosmetic
narscosmetics.com

Giorgio Armani clear mascara
giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com

Lip gloss
barneys.com

Clinique cream skincare
dillards.com

Beauty product
barneys.com

Naked Palette
urbandecay.com

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara, I think I love you

I'm a mascara fiend. For sanitary reasons I know one should only have one or at most two mascaras opened at a time. But I probably have 6 (gulp, maybe 7?!?) Then I found this Volumizing beauty at Kmart (truth be told, haven't stepped in a Kmart in years!) for $2.99, how could I resist! I will be repurchasing and using for as long as it available! this stuff is truly amazing and doesn't flake! Ok, it did but by that time is had it on for maybe 8 hours and I was out in the sun. I cannot praise this stuff enough. I'll let the picture do the rest of the talking, this is only two coats!

Upper Left: Bare Lashes, Upper Right: 2 Coats

Happy 4th of July!

Today (in the US) is the 4th of July... BBQ's, Fireworks, Family and friends and here in Southern California-hot weather! Since today will be a casual day, relaxing day:) I'm going to do a everyday, easy makeup look and instead focus on my nails. I'm not very creative,  just opting for a dark blue and Barry M Red (one of 3 Barry M polishes I own thanks to Beautyandlechic.com) on my ring finger. for my toes maybe I'll get creative and add white polka dots.

Face and products of the day:

• Sephora Age Defy Moisture cream SPF 15: this mini came in my Sun Safety Kit I bought in Sephora a few months ago. Today is my first day trying it, so far , so good! Smells good and feels good on the skin!
• Murad Absolute Bronzing Boost: I love this stuff (I've included it in last months monthly favorites). Even though NARS Sheer Glow in Barcelona is a perfect match for me, with all the summer swimming (even with massive SPF applied frequently) I have a golden glow going on-this helps even out while I'm a tad darker.
• Maybelline Dream Matte powder in Honey: This stuff is awesome. I'm running low and will def be repurchasing. Doesn't cake on, lasts for 4+ hours, travels easy and has a mirror. 
• MAC Vegas Volt: Coral goodness! 'Nuff said!
• Revlon Colorburst Lip gloss in Papaya: Just purchased this gloss yesterday and am wondering why it has taken me so long to try these glosses? Color and pigmentation is wonderful! Cannot wait to add more to my collection. Walgreens had these on sale and a $2 coupon in their in-store coupon booklet-this was about $4! Score=)
• MAC Brow Set in Show off: Cannot even count how many of these I've purchased over the years! This is a quick and beautiful way to get my eyebrows looking full and dark. 
• Benefit Their Real: I like this but don't love it. As long as they keep making samples, I may keep one in my make up bag. It adds length but not much volume! May add a couple coats of Cover Girl Lash blast (not pictured)
• Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Bold Gold: May add a bit of this later tonight for a wee bit of sparkle. 
• NYX Cream blush in Tea Rose: I've had this for a couple of months but lately it has been getting a lot of use! This color is perfect alone or under a bronzer. ALone it makes me look glowy! 

Sounds (and looks) like a lot but when you love makeup, 

June Empties!

 One of my favorite blog posts to read are monthly empties. It's interesting to see what's good, bad and so-so. I like posting because it will remind to not buy again, or maybe keep buying! It also makes me control my stash and therefore not feel guilty buying when I see that I actually do use stuff up!

• Gucci Guilty EDT: Love this stuff! But am realizing why I'm on my second bottle-while it smells amazing, it needs a lot of sprays to actually be able to tell I'm indeed wearing perfume! Definitely will not be repurchasing:(
• No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser: I've been using this since December and adore it, feels like buttah and makes my skin soft. I usually use my Clarisonic in the shower, but on nights where I needed to wash my face, this was my go-to. Will repurchase asap!
• La Roche-Posay Effaclar K: This was something I saw on a lot of blogs and had very good reviews, with good reason! This helped get rid of my cystic acne that had been flaring up on my skin since last summer. Quite pricey, but if I see it for a good price, will def repurchase!
• Mark c-thru-u Beautifying Sheer Tint: This stuff was amazing!! I've had this for way too long, but as with my Murad Bronzer-I liked to add a smudge with my foundation for a glowy look! Sadly this is no longer on the site and I think has been discontinued.
• Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Skin Clearing Mask: I got this in a christmas gift basket. It was extremely thick and hard to apply! I didn't feel much after washing it off, except some slight irritation. Will not be repurchasing.
• Sephora Express Nail Polish Remover: This stuff is awesome and works like a charm!! It was a bit pricey-about $5 for a 50 ml bottle, but def worth it. I only had to go once around the block (nail) to remove most polishes! Will repurchase once I finish my Target brand of Acetone polish remover.
• Philosphy Have a Cherry Christmas Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath: Love the scent of cherries.  got this for christmas last year and love it. Even though it's a 3-in-1, for the price, I don't think I'd repurchase unless there was a deal or huge sale. 
• Rusk Deep Shine Oil Moisturizing Shampoo: I won this (and the conditioner-still have a bit left of that) on the Lucky Magazine website. This made my hair crazy soft and smelled lovely. I also have the hairspray with moroccan oil, and it's perfect for spraying down flyways and again, love the smell. Will repurchase if I can find it on sale.
• Aussie Split End Protector: I love Aussie products. I usually added a bit of this with some leave-in conditioner or a some hair serum and quite liked it! I have tons of hair products but will maybe buy this again when I finish more products in the future.
• Tend Skin Liquid: Good, but not great for Ingrown Hairs. Have already repurchased.
• April Body Cream Coconut & Angel of Mine Creamy Baby Oil: I got both of these at the .99cent store and love them!! I have dry skin and have to apply moisturizer immediately after showering. These two smell divine and make my skin baby soft (Especially the Baby oil;) For the price I cannot say no-I have repurchased many times and have several backups of each!